Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup small semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.grease muffin tins or line muffin pans with paper bake cups / set aside

2. combine dry ingredients in bowl/ set aside

3. mix in separate bowl melted butter, pumpkin, eggs

4. combine the dry ingredients with pumpkin mixture/ mix until blended, fold in chocolate chips

5. fill cups 2/3 full, bake 350, 20-25 mins. do not overcook

excellent right out of oven

Karen's Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cake

3/4 cups butter softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 nutmeg

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and set aside.
Mix puree, buttermilk, and vanilla and set aside.
Mix all dry ingredients together.

Combine all ingredients together in thirds, blending until smooth.
Bake in 3-8inch parchment lined cake pans
Bake 35-40 mins. in 350 oven

cool and frost with pumpkin cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
1-8oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup butter softened
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
add 4 cups powdered sugar

Smoothies....

I have to tell you about my Smoothie Maker. I got it at QVC.http://qvc.com/. Go to kitchen electronics, and it is A Chris Freytag Personal Fitness Blender.
What makes this better than a regular blender is that it chops the ice and frozen fruit really well and really fast.Blenders don't always do this. It also was not expensive, it is small, and easy to clean.

SMOOTHIE RECIPE :

1 cup of no fat milk

shot of fruit juice, whatever I have around, this is not necessary.

handful of ice

1 no fat yogurt, I like vanilla or berry of some kind

handful frozen berries I use a mixture of blueberries,blackberries,rasberries.

Mix and enjoy... it is only about 4-5 weight watchers points.